An intimate portrayal of a family and a father who must ultimately choose between his two sons. This book is heartbreaking.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC.

The Deyalsingh twins, Paul and Peter are growing up in the volitale countryside of Trinidad. Dad Clyde works long hours at a petroleum plant and Joy is a stay at home mom. They are trying to save money for Peter to attend college. He is the gifted golden child with the unlimited future.
Paul has learning issues and is not able to make friends easily, after complications at birth.
Nevertheless, Joy tries to keep the boys together through school and Father Kavanagh helps Paul with extra tutoring.
When Paul disappears one day, Clyde is forced to make a shocking decision.
The story started slowly for me. I almost didn't finish it. As it gained momentum, I felt frustrated by the way Paul was treated by his family, and how favored Peter was.
What I really enjoyed was the atmosphere created by the author, the country came alive for me.
Ultimately a heartbreaking and painfully disturbing tale.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
Thank you to Crown/Archetype Publishing and NetGalley for the free ebook in exchange for the honest review.

This is my second book from SJP's imprint for Hogarth, and I was not disappointed. Claire Adam has a strong debut with her tightly woven narrative, Golden Child. With its engaging writing, both the characters and the setting of 1980's Trinidad come to life for the reader. It's a story about dualiities. I won't give too much away, but it's about family and the choices that are made. It's about twins and brothers. It's one that most lovers of literary fiction will enjoy.

I was so excited to read this book because I absolutely LOVED A Place for Us, the first book published by SJP for Hogarth. This latest book was also excellent and had so much depth. What I loved most about it was the setting--I've never read a book set in Trinidad before, no do I really even know that much a bout Trinidad. This book showcased it in a way that almost made it like a character in itself.

This book was so emotional. I couldn't stop thinking about the story after I finished reading it. To be honest, I didn't know WHAT to think. There was so much going on in the story. It saddened me that Clyde and Joy blatantly treated Paul so differently. Because of this, Father Kavanagh was one of my favorite characters in the book, because he saw Paul as "normal" and questioned Clyde's treatment of him. This part of the story showcases the unfortunate truth of what labeling someone as "retarded" can do.

The blurb mentions the "choice that no parent should ever have to make", which, in my opinion, wasn't a hard choice at all and for much of the last third of the book I was so angry at Clyde. I still am angry at Clyde. This perspective challenged me to think of this from Clyde's perspective, even though I didn't want to (I won't give any spoilers--let me know if you want to chat about the ending!).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it, especially if you like learning about new places and cultures through reading! This was an excellent debut novel from Claire Adam!

Golden Child is a profound statement about family and community and the chain of events set in motion by our preferences and how we act on them. And gently and urgently, it asks over and over, how much does love cost? And what are you willing to sacrifice for it?
The story unfolds against the rich Caribbean backdrop of Trinidad and Tobago, where a  family of modest means but rich potential invests their resources into their golden child(ren) - twin boys, Peter and Paul, one who is academically gifted while the other struggles to keep up. While there are several twists that a plot such as this one could take, the novel explores the mystery of a lost child, as well as takes on the particular beliefs that are held up in families that treats children differently based on the contributions they anticipate each one making to their shared future.
The writing is deliberate and yet subtle, the story beginning right away with a rich atmospheric setting and whispers of personification the moment we meet the characters. Our first introduction is to the dogs, lazy mutts that should be guard dogs but that spend their days sleeping and doing nothing to keep their owners safe. Next, we meet Clyde, the father who exchanges his time and mental resources in the chemical plant, the odors of his job strong enough to suffocate his other, more important responsibility of protecting his family. And while he has two sons, identical in age and appearance, when he arrives, his first call is not to summon his favorite but to relay tasks onto the one he would rather keep busy outside. Here, the narrative points out subliminally but also explicitly, not just Clyde's acknowledgement that when he calls for one, the other responds, but that it disappoints him. And what of the mother, Joy - how does she contribute to the dysfunction? Is she a hapless homemaker, content to carry out her husband's wishes or does she also have her own preferences and what will she do to further them? And how much does love cost?
The similarities versus difference in the treatment of twins is one that carries great potential in literature and here, we are reminded of the biblical Esau and Jacob, the favoritism showed by both their parents, each one choosing a child that they wanted to inherit the legacy. It also hearkens back to the tale of the prodigal sons - the lost brother and the joy that his return would mean for the father. In this fictional tale, the author invites the reader into the rural Caribbean setting, the humble house, the hardships of their life, so we can ponder what the real inheritance is and which child can truly lay claim to it.
As a West Indian myself, I greatly anticipated this new book, and with it, the addition of a new storytelling voice that would carry the drumbeats that I have grown up hearing in the distance, the similarities and differences from my own experiences. With Golden Child, Claire Adam, certainly has established herself as a voice to be acknowledged and listened to as she recalls her own memories and overlays them with fictional characters and situations that almost mimic those we have known in former years. The prose is rhythmic and the descriptions arouse nostalgia for the island setting that probably no longer exists except in our memories. Yet, the characters are relevant, timeless, demanding acknowledgement, exploration and understanding. While it might be easy to judge the parents and even the community that alternately chastises, cajoles and  rallies around the boys, they are also the ones who have created the situation for the lost child scenario and one can only shake ones head at the holier-than-thou attitudes that each one adopts when it is convenient to place blame elsewhere. Yet, these are characters that beget our sympathy even as we congratulate ourselves that we are not in the artfully sketched rural community the author constructed within the pages.
I recommend this book to fans of The Mortifications by Derek Palacio for its discussion of how twins are incorporated and treated within families, particularly those with Caribbean backgrounds and whose lives are ordered by deep spiritual beliefs.
Book Details


Title: Golden Child
Author: Claire Adam
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 281
Publication Date: January 29, 2019
Rating: 5 stars

I received a free copy of Golden Child from the publishers Hogarth Books and the Sarah Jessica Imprint and TLC Book Tours in order to complete this review. Thank you to Netgalley for also providing me with a free electronic ARC to do some advance reading. I do my best to keep my review honest and would not recommend a book that I didn't truly enjoy myself.

Golden Child by Claire Adam was an amazing book. Set in Trinidad, it is the story of a man Clyde, his wife Joy, and twin sons Peter and Paul. One day, Paul is missing and Clyde looks for him unsuccessfully. The story then goes back to the past starting at the birth of the twin boys. Paul’s birth was complicated resulting in what the entire family called mental retardation. However Paul is not regarded; he’s just different and more difficult than his brother, the golden child Peter. The story goes on to explain their upbringing and their extended family dynamic, which paves the way for the eventual events surrounding Paul’s disappearance.
I thought Golden Child was a very well written story, and all around sad. The writing was incredible and descriptive so that you felt you could visualize where the story took place and what was happening. My only issue with the book is that I just can’t understand Clyde’s actions or his favoritism of Peter. To me, that was incredibly sad. I do recommend this book, as it is destined to be a classic.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from Netgalley.com and the publisher Crown Publishing, SJP for Hogarth.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the second release from SJP for Hogarth. While many books have a lot of prepublication buzz surrounding them, this is one of the few that deserves it.

Ms. Adams has written a tale of the struggles of a family living in Trinidad. Twin boys, as different as night and day, and their parents who deeply care for them. At it's roots, Golden Child is a story about familial love, and the tough decisions we make for family.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

This story about a family of with 2 twin boys, one the perfect child and the other constantly referred to as "retarded" is set in Trinidad. I'll start by saying my main positive is that the author created an excellent sense of place with authentic dialect and a distinct feeling of the surroundings, so much so that Trinidad felt like the most well developed character in the book. We are immediately introduced to the family dynamic and the fact that Paul is the trouble making, cause the family pain child and Peter is the golden child. Then Paul disappears and the story goes back in time and works its way back to the present. I really never got into the story, never connected with the characters and by the time I figured out where it was going I didn't care. The writing style wasn't for me and I found no redeeming qualities or any actual character arc for any of the characters. Not for me in the end

Set in Trinidad, GOLDEN CHILD explores the lives of two adolescent boys and their parents. GOLDEN CHILD makes clear how our parents' opinions of us shape us, even when such opinions are inaccurate and how poverty and lack of education affect our world-view. This is a sad and brutal story but one that has stayed with me and given me a lot to think about with regard to my own role both as a mother and a daughter.

I enjoyed the overall storyline of Golden Child, but I felt it was a bit choppy. It was hard to follow at times. Overall it was a good story of family.

I chose to read Golden Child because, as an inveterate traveler, I enjoy being transported to different places. This book is set in Trinidad in the 1980s, so it seemed a perfect match for my interests. That said, I had a hard time settling into the book and feeling much empathy for the characters. Adam does a good job setting the scene: a small rural community in which, one would expect people to be close-knit and willing to help each other. Instead, corruption and crime are rampant, and even one’s neighbors are suspect. Clyde, the main character, is poorly educated but has hopes for one of his twins. Peter is extraordinarily bright while Paul has some congenital mental defects.

Adam's writing is beautiful-evocative and rich, but also very matter-of-fact. Even when some horrific things happen to this family, there doesn’t seem to be much of an emotional response from the parents even when the family is betrayed by other family members. The last part of the book occurs very quickly, and when I read the last page, I didn’t feel the book was over. All in all I had mixed feelings about Golden Child.

There are so many thoughts I could share about my experience of Golden Child but, in the interest of maintaining a spoiler-free post, I’ll restrict myself to the elements of the novel that were most impactful while attempting to refrain from giving anything away.

One of the most important things readers should know, when and if you decide to read this beautiful debut, is that you will definitely want to talk to someone after you finish! Golden Child is the perfect book club or small group discussion selection; there is plenty of fodder for conversation and, as I have already discovered, most readers have very distinct views on the novel’s conclusion.

"They have two kinds of men in the world, Clyde thinks, two kinds of fathers. One kind works hard and brings all the money home and gives it to his wife to spend on the house and children. The other kind doesn’t do that. And nobody can control which kind of father they get. Simple as that."

The setting of this book, rural Trinidad in the 1980s-1990s, is key to understanding the cultural influences on the narrative; author Claire Adam is a remarkable storyteller, but her descriptions of the landscape and diversity are absolutely incredible. In addition, I love that each character has a very distinct personality; each seem to simultaneously fight against and embrace their individual identities and purpose within the family unit.

Again, I don’t feel comfortable sharing much about the way in which the story unfolds; nevertheless, this is a heavy read, especially the second half of the book, and you will likely have strong opinions - some may be positive and some may be negative. In either case, there is a certain spiritual quality and a level of respect that comes with the conclusion of this story; you may love it, you may hate it, but I hope you can appreciate its value. I believe that it is most definitely worth reading.

Clyde and Joy are the parents of twins Peter and Paul who live in Trinidad. Paul is considered slow as he was born second with the cord wrapped around his neck. Peter is exceptionally bright. One night thirteen-year-old Paul goes missing and the story takes off as Clyde searches for him. Could he have run away, gone to a party he was grounded from? From birth, their story is told with memorable characters and a hint of brutality from the danger of the residence. The book really comes together in the final chapters.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

It’s hard to know how to talk about this book without giving it away. The back blurb does a great job of explaining the premise.

I thought the quality of writing in this book was excellent. The story kept me flipping the pages. Many elements of the plot were ones that always grab me; setting in a different culture, stories about twins, family drama. However, I felt myself disgusted and disturbed after reading this book. For this reason, it is tough for me to recommend it to anyone else.

Trigger warning for violence against a child.

Clyde and Joy Deyalsingh live in rural Trinidad with their 13-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul. The novel opens with Paul’s having gone for a walk after school and not returning home. While Clyde waits and looks for his son, he flashes back to the birth of his sons and their early years. Peter is the golden child who from an early age has been acknowledged as a genius destined for greatness. Paul suffered from hypoxia at birth and was almost immediately labeled as “slightly retarded” so there are few expectations for his future. Though Paul struggles with learning, Joy insists that the boys go to the same school so Peter can look after Paul, though Clyde feels Peter should not be responsible for his brother. This family ends up facing a Sophie’s Choice dilemma.

The time period is not specifically mentioned but references to pop culture (like the television show Dallas) and the petrochemical industry suggest the 1980s. What is emphasized is that there is a great deal of uncertainty in the world of the Deyalsingh family. Because Clyde is not well-educated, his opportunities are limited and so his economic situation insecure. There is also rampant lawlessness and corruption. The Deyalsinghs, like everyone else, have locked gates and guard dogs though these do not prevent a violent burglary of their home. Violence, often connected to drugs, is commonplace, and Clyde and Joy’s extended family is not untouched.

The narrative focuses on Clyde’s perspective. Clyde wants to be a good father; he works hard to provide for his family and stays away from any criminal activity. He is obsessed with securing a good future for Peter, the “anointed one.” When Paul disappears, Clyde is worried though he seems more angry; he sees Paul as a troublemaker who even “provoked the bandits” and endangered Joy during the robbery, so his disappearance after an argument is the behaviour Clyde expects. Unfortunately, when Clyde is faced with making a life-altering choice, focus shifts to other characters so his reasoning and his psychological struggle are only superficially examined.

The perspectives of Paul and Father Kavanagh, a priest at the school who takes an especial interest in helping Paul, are also included. Father Kavanagh disagrees with the label which has been attached to Paul, and one of Paul’s fondest memories is that of Father Kavanagh telling him, “’It’s very plain to see that you’re not [mentally retarded]. . . . Listen to me. You’re not.’” From Paul’s perspective we see a shy, sensitive boy. He may be dyslexic but he is not incapable of learning. A description of his sleeping arrangements points out his gentle nature and his position in the family. He shares a bed with his brother: “He only has a narrow space at the edge of the bed because Peter is taking up so much room. He could, in theory, kick him back over to his side: that’s what Peter would do, if it was Paul taking up too much space. But he doesn’t mind. He likes to watch the gentle rise and fall of Peter’s back as he breathes.” It is heart-breaking to read his observation that “Only Peter can please Daddy. Everything Peter does is perfect, and everything he does is wrong.”

Peter’s point of view is not really given. Including it would have given the novel more depth. How does it feel to be the favourite child? Does he resent having to look after his brother? Joy’s perspective is also missing. Considering the involvement of her brother in her family’s affairs, does she feel particularly betrayed? Family dynamics are central to the book but insufficiently explored.

The pacing is uneven. The novel begins very slowly and I found myself wondering about the nature of the main conflict. Only two-thirds into the novel does this become clear, and then the pace picks up. Unfortunately, at this point there’s a disturbing scene involving Treats and Paul that seems gratuitous. The end comes almost too quickly but certainly leaves the reader questioning what he/she would do in similar circumstances.

This is not a bad novel. It could, however, be a much better novel if certain aspects were more developed. Given its short length, this book feels almost like an outline.

Note: I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

I finished Golden Child last night and I am definitely haunted by it. I have read from other reviewers that are from Trinidad and Tobago that they enjoyed how the island was depicted. I was thankful to have read it for that depiction, for sparking my interest in reading more about the island and its history. It prompted me to learn about India and its history with Trinidad. I just personally felt the book was lacking in character development, it lead to a tragic event that felt stilted and fell flat. The story seemed predictable and in the end when Clyde is forced to make a choice between both of his children I wasn't at the edge of my seat. The story had told us clearly what choice Clyde would make. The Golden Child syndrome is definitely one worth exploring and perhaps I set expectations on this book that it never promised me. I just felt that the pace of the story stalled a lot. I kept having to prompt myself to get on with reading the book. I kept thinking, what is the point of this book? What is the author trying to get on? I tried reading some interviews from Claire Adam but her answers seemed vague. To me, her interviews seemed to indicate that these characters popped into her mind and wrote themselves and she had no control over how they developed. I know that that can lead to a beautifully written book but I just felt that this book was big puzzle with a lot of pieces forced together to try to make this vague picture of something. What that something is, I have no clue.

I had to think for a while after finishing this book in terms of my rating. The writing was different/unique - was it because the story was set in Trinidad, so the dialogue & overall writing showcased that? I don’t know, but the beginning was a bit hard to follow and get into.
But as I kept reading about Paul’s disappearance, and his father’s way of coping, I quickly became interested. Paul and Peter are twin brothers - Peter is the superstar child, whereas Paul is ignored and teased.

This book turned into a heartbreaking read. I mean it. My heart actually hurts.

I wish I could say more but I’d be spoiling quite a bit of the story. So, if you like to read about a dysfunctional family with a bit of mystery in it, this book is for you. It is different (in a good way), & heartbreaking. The writing really makes you feel like you’re right in Trinidad, and right with Clyde, Joy, Peter & Paul.

Golden Child is a haunting book about family and about choice. Taking place in rural Trinidad we are introduced to a family with two twin boys. At birth one of the boys was deprived of oxygen and is diagnosed as developmentally delayed. The twin boys growing up are given every opportunity these parents can give their kids. Peter is smart and excels in his studies while Paul struggles in school and social settings. One day Paul disappears and his father is faced with making a choice that impacts everyone in the family forever. This book is beautifully written and I found it very descriptive of the landscape where the story was set. This book has left me conflicted as it ends with making an impossible choice. One choice I am just not sure I could make.

This story takes place in Trinidad in the 1980s. Claire Adam tells the story of Clyde and Joy and their twin sons, Paul and Peter. Paul, who was deprived oxygen at birth is deemed the crazy one and Peter, the genius son. I find stories ( both real and fictional) surrounding twins to be fascinating. People cannot seem to help comparing one twin to another, when really they are two different people like ever else.
The heartbreaking part of this story comes in the latter part of this book. Where it was a little predictable, the story was very well done and had an authentic feel to it. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

As Sarah Jessica Parker's second title for Hogarth, I wasn't sure what to expect from her selections yet. A Place for Us was an unexpected jewel for me. I loved experiencing the push/pull of a family that may be different from mine in wide sweeping characterizations (Indian-American, Muslim) but is also the same as mine--and most families--in that we are constantly trying to form our individual identities while also trying to figure out who we are in relation to other family members.

Golden Child opened my mind to what life may have been like for many Trinidadians in the 1980s in regards to corruption and the constant threat from drug lords. The story also educated me on a culture in one of my favorite ways--through food. There are dozens and dozens of references to favorite dishes, preparation styles, storage, and the transport of food that give readers a more detailed view into the characters' daily lives. I learned a lot about the landscape and culture of Trinidad through this story but I was absolutely gutted with the ending. I'm not going to give details because I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I needed some time to recover after this one. I couldn't decide if I loved it, hated it, or something else entirely. After much thought, I've decided to categorize it as "something else entirely" (just one of the reasons why I find the star rating system so difficult.) This book made me grow as a person and a reader and it is one of those books I am so glad to have read, but it also challenged my thoughts about what I "like" about a book. Previously, I found myself liking a book if it was all tied up at the end in a nice little package that I could describe to another reader in a few sentences. Now, I think I'm looking for more. I want to experience a book that pushes my reading boundaries, sails into uncharted territory, and ignores the comfortable formulas of contemporary releases--all of which I found in Golden Child.

I can already predict a lot of divided opinions on this book, just as there were on A Place for Us. This may only be the second book in the SJP for Hogarth imprint but I also predict that her future selections will likely continue to include unsettling storylines, traditionally "unlikeable" or "difficult" characters, and complicated relationships.

I don't think that everyone will like this book, but I would recommend it someone looking to diversify their reading material or to someone interested in complex family dynamics and relationships.